Originally posted on 22/06/2017 by Isabella via speakingofwitchwands.net
By Isabella @TheWandCarver
So much can, and has been, said about the magickal Ash tree that I’m not sure where to begin – or to end – this blog. I can only really attest to what I personally know, right? In that case, Ash is a wonderful wood to work with, as a wand carver and rune maker, I find Ash wood the easiest to carve and sand, and the result is always gorgeous. It is also quite a chatty wood, for me, anyway, as I listen to the wood to get the direction of where to go with carving for wands. It always has much to say. The spirit of Ash is quite strong! (Well, it IS believed in some traditions that Witches live in Ash trees) But mainly, the point of this writing is not much to do with making wands, or runes. It was intended to be a hopefully helpful bit of information regarding the bark and wood of the Ash tree in magickal usage.
Many people write to me when looking through our Witchcraft Supplies section in our Etsy shop asking questions. I have come to realise that most people do not read the description provided, and that is mostly down to how hard the description is to find if you are using your phone’s Etsy app to shop. Therefore, I’m happy to explain here as much as I can on how to use wood bark and shavings in your magick. Ash is definitely a wood you want in your potionary stocks, when we have it available, that is.
There are many magickal uses for all parts of an Ash tree, however, as said, we’ll only stick to the wood and bark here. The wood is traditionally burned at Yule to bring prosperity into the New Year ahead. Maybe you don’t have a fireplace, but you can use it in a loose incense mixture and burn on a charcoal disc for the same effect. Ash is also known as one of the three trees in the Faery Triad (Ash, Oak, and Thorn) along with Oak, and Hawthorn. Ash is a wonderful wood for promoting “brain power”. We have had, at one time, a talisman in our shop to this very purpose and will be having them again in future. In meantime, you can use the bark and or shavings in poppets for this purpose as well. Ash bark rubbed into a wart is said to make it go away. And Ash wood and bark is said to have magickal effectiveness in protection from drowning, sea power, and healing. Ash is also used for protection of any kind, whether in loose spell incense, poppets, or in witch bottles.
If you have a need and you can, at the very least, fashion a witch bottle, adding Ash shavings or bark to the ingredients, it will most likely be quite effective. Every witch has his or her preference in how a wood, herb, or flower is used in their magick. You can find your most effective vessel, we can provide the ingredients.
A few other facts about Ash which may be helpful to you in planning your spell work:
Planet: The Sun and Neptune
Element: Water, Fire
Symbolism: Mastership and Power
Stone: Turquoise, Lepidolite (Increase psychic awareness)
Birds: Common Snipe
Colour: White, pale Blue
Deity: Eostre, Frigg, Hel/Holle, Minerva, Nemesis, Odin, Nemesis, Poseidon, Neptune
Folk Name: Hoop Ash, Nion – (a rune name from the Irish Gaelic word Nionon which means heaven.)
The Ash tree is also a sacred tree to the Celts and to Druids. The ogham for Ash is “Nuin” or “Nion” and it is most likely sacred to the Norsemen as it is associated with and said to be Yggdrasil. Ash is the third month of the Celtic Tree calendar, February 18th – March 17th and the 3rd consonant of the ogham alphabet.
I hope this little article has been of use to the magickal community in your quest to use Ash wood in your spell work. Many thanks for reading and warmest blessings to all x
Sources
Cunningham’s Encyclopaedia of Herbs
WytchenCrafts 